The present invention relates to bakery apparatus and, more particularly, to a bakery pan conveyor.
Commercial bakeries typically employ equipment which automates the baking of various products including bread loaves, buns and the like. For example, an existing system includes an infeed conveyor which delivers a plurality of product or bakery pans to an indexer or discontinuous conveyor. The indexer transports the pans in a stepwise fashion to a product cutter. The product cutter is located at the discharge end of a product or dough conveyor. Dough is delivered to the product cutter where it is dispensed in a measured quantity and deposited into a mold or molds defined by the bakery pan. The indexer transports the pans in coordination with operation of the cutter so that a pan is presented at the discharge end of the cutter at the appropriate time. The pans are then conveyed to an oven where the dough is baked. Subsequent operations remove the baked product from the pans, subject the pans to a cleaning operation and return the pans to the infeed conveyor.
An existing indexing conveyor includes a chain conveyor having an endless chain which extends around a pair of sprockets. A plurality of flight lugs are positioned transversely on the conveyor chain in longitudinally spaced, tandem relationship. The flight lugs, in effect, define pockets which receive the product or bakery pan. A flight lug will engage a sidewall of the pan as the pan is conveyed therealong. The flight lugs keep the pans separated properly on the conveyor. Problems have been experienced with proper loading of the pans onto the indexing conveyor and positioning of the pans thereon.